U.S. patent application number 12/275227 was filed with the patent office on 2009-03-12 for security system for inventory.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to P. Daniel Kangas.
Application Number | 20090066515 12/275227 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38875991 |
Filed Date | 2009-03-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090066515 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kangas; P. Daniel |
March 12, 2009 |
Security System for Inventory
Abstract
A security system for inventory automatically detects removal of
inventory items from an area or areas protected with security
sensors. A person removing the item then scans an identifying code
of the item, such as its bar code or radio-frequency identification
("RFID") tag, with a device such as a portable shopping assistant
device; if the item is not scanned in an appropriate manner, such
as within a particular a time period, then theft of the item may be
suspected. Information for completing a purchase transaction can be
sent from the portable shopping assistant device. In this manner,
items can be purchased directly from the protected areas.
Inventors: |
Kangas; P. Daniel; (Raleigh,
NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARCIA L. DOUBET LAW FIRM
P.O. BOX 422859
KISSIMMEE
FL
34742-2589
US
|
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
38875991 |
Appl. No.: |
12/275227 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11427975 |
Jun 30, 2006 |
7477149 |
|
|
12275227 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/572.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08B 13/2417 20130101;
G08B 13/248 20130101; G08B 13/2462 20130101; G06Q 10/087
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/572.1 |
International
Class: |
G08B 13/14 20060101
G08B013/14 |
Claims
1. A system for enabling item purchase directly from a protected
area, comprising: at least one radio-frequency identification
("RFID") security sensor positioned to protect the area, for
monitoring presence of each of at least one items expected to be
contained within the area, wherein each of the at least one items
has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated
therewithin, the transmission mechanism comprising an RFID security
tag sending signals that are detectable by the at least one RFID
security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least
one of the at least one RFID security sensors; a computer
comprising a processor; and instructions configured to execute,
using the processor, to implement functions comprising: responsive
to detecting, by at least one of the RFID security sensors, a
removal of any of the at least one items from the protected area,
performing a purchase verification process comprising: obtaining a
unique identifier of the removed item by interrogating the RFID
security tag coupled to or integrated within the removed item;
identifying a person who removed the item; starting a first timer
to monitor a first time interval during which the removed item
remains outside the protected area; upon expiration of the first
timer without receiving a notification that a purchase has been
completed for the removed item during the first time interval,
issuing a first warning to the person who removed the item, and
starting a second timer to monitor a second time interval during
which the removed item remains outside the protected area; upon
expiration of the second timer without receiving the notification
that the purchase has been completed for the removed item during
the second time interval, issuing a security alert for the removed
item; and upon receiving the notification, at the protected area,
that the person removing the item completes the purchase of the
removed item, recording an indication that the removed item was
purchased, wherein: the purchase of the removed item is initiated
upon a scan of the RFID tag of the removed item by the person; the
notification is generated upon detecting a completion of the
purchase of the removed item; and the security alert indicates that
the removed item was stolen.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the protected area
comprises a display case.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the area comprises at
least a portion of a shelf.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first time interval
and the second time interval are configurable for each of the
items.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein identifying a person
further comprises capturing an image of the person, responsive to
detecting the removal, and wherein the instructions are further
configured to implement functions comprising: providing the
captured image with the security alert when the security alert is
issued; and deleting the captured image upon receiving the
notification.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the captured image is a
photo image of the person.
7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the captured image is a
video image of the person.
8. A computer program product for enabling item purchase directly
from a protected area, the computer program product embodied on one
or more computer-usable media and comprising computer-usable
program code for: monitoring, by at least one radio-frequency
identification ("RFID") security sensor positioned to protect the
area, presence of each of at least one items expected to be
contained within the area, wherein each of the at least one items
has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated
therewithin, the transmission mechanism comprising an RFID security
tag sending signals that are detectable by the at least one RFID
security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least
one of the at least one RFID security sensors; responsive to
detecting, by at least one of the RFID security sensors, a removal
of any of the at least one items from the protected area,
performing a purchase verification process comprising: obtaining a
unique identifier of the removed item by interrogating the RFID
security tag coupled to or integrated within the removed item;
identifying a person who removed the item; starting a first timer
to monitor a first time interval during which the removed item
remains outside the protected area; upon expiration of the first
timer without receiving a notification that a purchase has been
completed for the removed item during the first time interval,
issuing a first warning to the person who removed the item, and
starting a second timer to monitor a second time interval during
which the removed item remains outside the protected area; upon
expiration of the second timer without receiving the notification
that the purchase has been completed for the removed item during
the second time interval, issuing a security alert for the removed
item; and upon receiving the notification, at the protected area,
that the person removing the item completes the purchase of the
removed item, recording an indication that the removed item was
purchased, wherein: the purchase of the removed item is initiated
upon a scan of the RFID tag of the removed item by the person; the
notification is generated upon detecting a completion of the
purchase of the removed item; and the security alert indicates that
the removed item was stolen.
9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the
protected area comprises a display case.
10. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the
area comprises at least a portion of a shelf.
11. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the
first time interval and the second time interval are configurable
for each of the items.
12. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein
identifying a person further comprises capturing an image of the
person, responsive to detecting the removal, and further comprising
computer-usable program code for: providing the captured image with
the security alert when the security alert is issued; and deleting
the captured image upon receiving the notification.
13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the
captured image is a photo image of the person.
14. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the
captured image is a video image of the person.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a security system
for inventory, and more particularly to automatically detecting
removal of inventory items from an area or areas protected with
security sensors (such as radio-frequency identification, or
"RFID", sensors), and in a retail environment, enables shoppers to
purchase items directly from shelves or other protected areas.
[0002] Theft and shoplifting are problems in many environments. For
retail businesses, for example, billions of dollars are lost every
year to shoplifting. Employee theft from inventory stored in
warehouses is also a serious problem and results in large amounts
of lost revenue.
[0003] In the retail environment, traditional checkout involves a
cashier at the front of the store scanning individual products and
completing a purchase transaction for a shopper, all at one time.
In recent years, self-checkout point-of-sale ("POS") stations have
been introduced by some retailers. While these self-checkout
stations may reduce labor costs for the retailer and reduce waiting
time for customers making purchases, new challenges are introduced
in preventing theft. Presently, a retailer creates a database of
each inventory item offered for sale, where the information stored
for each item typically includes the item's Uniform Product Code
("UPC", sometimes referred to as a "bar code") or other identifying
code, description, price, and weight. When a shopper scans the UPC
of an item being purchased using a scanning mechanism at the POS
station, the item weight is retrieved from the database. Shoppers
are typically directed by the self-checkout POS station to place
all purchased items in a particular area of the station, where the
collection of scanned items can be weighed. The weight of the
collection is then compared against the expected weight of all
scanned items (e.g., to determine whether any non-scanned items
have been added).
[0004] This present approach to self-checkout represents a large
amount of time spent at the checkout station. As an additional
drawback of this approach, theft is not adequately prevented.
[0005] It is known in the art to use RFID scanning of items--either
individually or in bulk--at the front of a store, all at one time,
to complete a single purchase transaction. For bulk scanning, for
example, the entire contents of a shopper's shopping cart may be
scanned at a checkout area in the front of a store. However, in
actual practice, the radio-frequency energy from the RFID tags
tends to be shielded by metal items that may be present in the
cart, such as canned goods, aluminum foil, and so forth, and thus
this type of bulk scanning sometimes provides incomplete
information.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a
security system for inventory whereby removal of inventory items
from an area or areas protected with security sensors can be
automatically detected. Theft of inventory items can therefore be
detected and reported. This preferably further comprises, in one
aspect, a security system for inventory, comprising: at least one
security sensor positioned to protect an area (such as a shelf or
display case, or portion thereof) by detecting presence of each of
at least one items contained within the area, wherein each of the
at least one items sends has a transmission mechanism coupled
thereto or integrated therewithin, the transmission mechanism
capable of sending signals that are detectable by the at least one
security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least
one of the at least one security sensors; and processing removal of
any of the at least one items, responsive to failing to detect the
presence thereof within the area. In this aspect, processing the
removal preferably comprises: identifying the removed item and a
person removing it; and awaiting a signal that the person removing
the item completes a removal transaction within a designated time
period, and if not, treating the removal as a potential theft.
[0007] Preferably, each of the at least one security sensors
comprises at least one radio-frequency identification ("RFID")
antenna, and the transmission mechanism is an RFID security tag (in
which case identifying the removed item preferably further
comprises obtaining an item identifier from the RFID security
tag).
[0008] In a further aspect, the prevention invention preferably
comprises enabling item purchase directly from a protected area by
monitoring, by at least one security sensor positioned to protect
the area, presence of each of at least one items expected to be
contained within the area, wherein each of the at least one items
sends has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated
therewithin, the transmission mechanism capable of sending signals
that are detectable by the at least one security sensor while the
item remains within proximity of at least one of the at least one
security sensors; and responsive to detecting, by at least one of
the security sensors, a removal of any of the at least one items,
identifying the removed item and awaiting a signal that a person
removing the item completes a purchase of the item within a
designated time period following the removal, and if not, treating
the removal as a potential theft.
[0009] In yet another aspect, the present invention preferably
further comprises enabling item ownership transfer directly from a
protected area by receiving notification that a security sensor
disposed to protect an area from theft has detected removal of an
item from the area, wherein the security sensor is adapted to
receive communication signals from the item while the item remains
within proximity of the security sensor and the item is adapted for
iteratively transmitting the communication signals; notifying a
remover of the item that the item should be purchased to avoid
signalling a security system of the removal; and receiving
notification, within a designated time period, that the remover of
the item requests to purchase the item, and responsive to receiving
the notification, for invoking a purchase transaction, or for
signalling the security system of the removal otherwise.
[0010] The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity,
simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail;
consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way
limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the
present invention, as defined by the appended claims, will become
apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth
below.
[0011] The present invention will be described with reference to
the following drawings, in which like reference numbers denote the
same element throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a sample configuration of components of a
security system for inventory, according to preferred embodiments
of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a representative RFID tag, according to
the prior art;
[0014] FIGS. 3-8 provide flowcharts depicting logic that may be
used when implementing preferred embodiments;
[0015] FIG. 9 depicts a sample shelf system showing a plurality of
shelves with RFID antennas configured;
[0016] FIG. 10 depicts a data processing system suitable for
storing and/or executing program code; and
[0017] FIG. 11 depicts a representative networking environment in
which one or more embodiments of the present invention may be
used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed
toward a security system for inventory comprising items stored in
an area or areas protected with security sensors. The protected
area may comprise a shelf, a display area (such as a wall within a
display case), a bin or other storage area (such as a freezer
holding frozen items), or a portion thereof. When an item is
removed from the protected area, its removal is automatically
detected by the security sensors. In a retail environment, use of
techniques disclosed herein enables a shopper to purchase items
directly from a protected area (referred to hereinafter as a shelf
for ease of reference), even though this shelf may be remotely
located from the traditional front-of-store checkout location.
[0019] In preferred embodiments, the security sensors use
radio-frequency identification ("RFID") technology. A person
removing the item scans an identifying code of the item, such as
its bar code or RFID security tag (referred to hereinafter as an
"RFID tag"), with a device such as a portable shopping assistant
device; if the item is not scanned in an appropriate manner, such
as within a particular a time period, then theft of the item may be
suspected (as will be described in more detail herein).
[0020] In a retail environment, an embodiment of the present
invention may be used when shoppers are purchasing items in a
traditional retail store, an open-air kiosk, a kiosk in an airport
or other public area, and so forth. For the retail environment, the
scanning of the item by the shopper preferably indicates that the
shopper is making a purchase of the scanned item. In a warehouse
environment or an environment where employees have access to
expensive equipment (such as in medical laboratories), an
embodiment of the present invention may be used when employees are
removing items from shelves or other storage areas. For the
warehouse environment, the scanning of the item preferably
indicates that the employee is making a transfer of the scanned
item (for example, from in-house inventory storage to shipping); if
the item does not arrive at its intended destination, it may be
presumed that this employee has stolen it. An embodiment of the
present invention may be used in other environments as well, such
as detecting when a library patron removes a library book from a
shelf, and thus the uses and environments discussed herein are by
way of illustration and not of limitation. For the library
environment, the scanning of the item preferably indicates that the
library patron is checking the scanned item out for his or her
temporary loan. Whereas a shopper takes ownership of an item
following a purchase transaction at the protected area, according
to preferred embodiments, the person removing an item and carrying
out a transaction in other environments may generally be considered
as taking responsibility for (rather than ownership of) the removed
item.
[0021] Components of a security system 100 for inventory, according
to preferred embodiments, are depicted in the sample configuration
of FIG. 1, and will now be described.
[0022] In preferred embodiments, the items in inventory each have
an integrated information-transmitting and information-receiving
device such as an RFID tag. See, for example, reference number 160
of FIG. 1. An RFID reader and tag system includes both passive
elements (an antenna) and active elements (a read-write data
memory, control circuitry, and a radio-frequency transponder). RFID
tags are typically not self-powered, but may receive their power
via capacitative coupling directly from energy in the radio
frequency signal transmitted from an external radio frequency
source to the RFID tag. When brought into proximity with an RFID
reader at a typical effective distance of about 1 centimeter to 5
meters (depending on the type of tag and reader antennas), the RFID
tag receives sufficient power to enable clocking the semiconductor
and analog portions comprising the transponder, control circuits,
and data memory through enough clock cycles that the tag can return
the data bits from its memory as a digitally-encoded RF signal.
This is advantageous because the tag can be read (or written) from
a distance without the necessity of line-of-sight, as is required
to read a bar code with a laser scanner.
[0023] A representative RFID tag 200 of the prior art is
illustrated in FIG. 2, showing a coiled antenna 220 (which in this
example takes on a generally square shape) embodied on some type of
substrate 210. Note that while discussions herein refer primarily
to using RFID "tags", this is not meant to limit the present
invention to use with a particular physical form of RFID
implementation. RFID tags may be more generally referred to as
transponders, and are generally capable of both transmitting and
receiving data. An RFID tag may be attached to an item, may be
embedded into the item, or may be provided in an embodiment
independent from an item, and it is not necessary that the physical
embodiment of the RFID components resembles a tag. For ease of
reference, RFID tags are referred to herein as being integrated
into an item. (While discussions herein are primarily in terms of
RFID technology, this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation, and other technology may be substituted without
deviating from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the
terms "RFID interrogator", "RFID reader", and "RFID antenna" are
used herein by way of illustration.)
[0024] Referring again to FIG. 1, preferred embodiments include a
protected area such as product display case 145, from which items
may be removed by a shopper or other person. Preferably, the
protection of the area comprises configuring the area with a
security sensor (or sensors) capable of detecting item removal,
such that a security sensor acts as a monitor for the area and its
items. When the items use integrated RFID tags, the security
sensors preferably comprise RFID antennas capable of sensing the
signals which are periodically emitted from the item-integrated
RFID tags, and these antennas are preferably positioned to detect
whether the items remain within proximity of the protected area.
The particular configuration of the security sensors within a
protected area may vary, depending on factors such as the type of
security sensor, its range and granularity of detection, the type
of items contained within the protected area, and the type of
protected area. As one example, if shelves in a grocery store are
configured as protected areas, it may be desirable to segment each
shelf at a particular lineal measurement for purposes of
positioning the security sensors. A physical shelf may therefore
contain multiple protected areas, such that the entire shelf may
comprise a group of protected areas (which may be logically chained
together). A shelf area protected by an RFID antenna configuration
might be on the order of several feet in length or longer, for
example. As another example, it may be desirable to configure an
entire display case as one protected area by arranging multiple
shelf segments, end-to-end down a store aisle.
[0025] FIG. 1 also illustrates a sample portable shopping assistant
device 195, which in preferred embodiments is a relatively-small
wireless device comprising a scanning mechanism such as a bar code
scanner and/or an RFID tag reader, and means for communicating with
security system 100. Preferably, the scanning mechanism is used
when the shopper is purchasing an item and scans an
item-identifying code to identify the item. The portable shopping
assistant device 195 may include a bar code scanner for scanning
legacy UPC codes or other types of bar codes. However, it is
expected that RFID tags will become ubiquitous in the near future,
and the shopping device 195 may alternatively use an RFID tag
reader in addition to, or instead of, the bar code scanner. An
example of a portable shopping assistant device that exists in the
prior art and may be used as device 195 is the
commercially-available IBM Mobile Tablet for Retail, marketed by
the International Business Machines ("IBM") Corporation.
[0026] The shopping device 195 may communicate 190 with security
system 100 using (by way of illustration but not of limitation)
cellular phone technology, Bluetooth technology, 802.11
communications, or other wireless means to indicate that the
shopper wishes to purchase a scanned item. Embodiments of the
present invention may support different types of shopping devices,
and optionally may support multiple types of shopping devices. The
supported devices may be adapted for reading or scanning other
types of item-identifying information beyond bar codes and RFID
tags, without deviating from the scope of the present invention.
Furthermore, devices may be used that are not specifically designed
as "shopping" devices. As one example, the portable shopping
assistant device may comprise a cell phone-type device that is
adapted to providing a product scanner function. As another
example, a wireless personal digital assistant ("PDA") scanning
function may be used.
[0027] Shopping device 195 may also comprise a biometric reader or
other means for identifying the shopper who is using the device,
enabling the shopper to "log in" to the device. Or, the device may
comprise other means of identifying the shopper, such as a keypad
on which the shopper can enter a personal identification number
("PIN") that is then compared to a previously-stored value. The
shopper may be identified to the device prior to beginning the
overall shopping process, thus shortening transaction time when
purchasing items. As another approach, the shopper may be
identified at each purchase transaction, without deviating from the
scope of the present invention. Optionally, the shopper's financial
account information may be stored in the portable shopping
assistant device. In this case, the stored account information is
preferably protected using encryption.
[0028] Portable shopping assistant device 195 may optionally
include a display area, such as a miniature liquid crystal display
("LCD"), and may include audio functionality using integrated
speakers. It may be preferable to use low-cost, low-function
digital processing circuits in device 195, rather than traditional
high-cost mobile processor and personal computer technology such as
chipsets, discrete memory modules, input/output chips, and so
forth.
[0029] Referring now to a retail environment, by way of example, a
shopper may purchase items directly from a retail store shelf (or
other protected area) using techniques disclosed herein, as
mentioned earlier. When the shopper removes an item from display
case 145, for example, a security sensor such as an RFID antenna
that protects the display case senses that the item has been
removed, and RFID antenna control processor 155 preferably
transmits 135 a notification to security system processor 105. In
addition, upon detecting the item removal, preferred embodiments
provide a message to the shopper to inform the shopper that he or
she may purchase the item by scanning it using the portable
shopping assistant 195, or that alternatively, the item should be
returned to the protected area. This message may be presented
visually and/or audibly. FIG. 1 illustrates an integrated shopper
information display 170 (which may be a conventional computer
monitor-type display) at the protected area 145 and speakers 165
that may be provided for this purpose. Furthermore, in preferred
embodiments, a photograph of the shopper is taken using a
surveillance camera 140 that is positioned to capture images of
shoppers for this protected area. Multiple cameras may be used for
a particular protected area, if desired. Furthermore, video cameras
may be used instead of, or in addition to, still cameras.
Preferably, all items within the protected area are within
line-of-sight coverage for the camera or cameras, thus providing
complete coverage for the area.
[0030] An item-specific time interval is preferably used to
determine how long the shopper may keep an item out of the
protected area, without purchasing it, before theft of the item is
suspected. If this time interval is exceeded, a warning may be
provided to remind the shopper that a decision is needed to either
purchase the item or return it to the protected area (and the
return of the item to the protected area is detected by the RFID
antenna or other security sensors which are used to protect that
area). Signal lights 150 may be flashed for this warning, for
example. In addition or instead, a warning message may be provided
audibly using speakers 165 and/or visually using information
display 170. Security personnel may be alerted when theft is
suspected. Such alerts may be audible and/or visual. It may be
desirable to provide such alerts in a manner that prevents the
shopper from hearing and/or viewing them, for example by sending a
message to a mobile device of the security personnel. Refer also to
FIGS. 3-8, where this processing is discussed in more detail.
[0031] Inventory management system 100 also preferably includes a
security system processor 105, and this security system processor
is communicably coupled to the RFID antenna control processor 155
(or other processor or controller) of the protected area or areas
such as display case 145. Wireless or wired means may be used for
communications therebetween. The security system processor
preferably comprises security system control software 115 and is
also communicably coupled to a server 175 which hosts personal
shopping assistant management software 180 and RFID inventory
management software 185. (Alternatively, these software
applications may be hosted on the same device as the security
system control software 115 without deviating from the scope of the
present invention.) Preferably, the security system processor 105
is responsible for generating and distributing the audio speaker
output (see 110a), video display output (see 110b), security
personnel alerts (see 110c), and signal light output (see 110d)
discussed above. Security system processor 105 is also preferably
responsible for receiving the captured images of shoppers'
photographs (see 110e), and may also receive input from RFID
sensors placed at the store exit (see 110f), as will be discussed
in more detail below.
[0032] The server 175 (or a data repository accessible therefrom)
preferably stores information about the store's inventory. RFID
inventory management software 185 is preferably adapted for
subtracting purchased items from inventory, and may also subtract
items from inventory when those items are determined to have been
stolen or are otherwise unaccounted for. Server 175 also may store
information about shoppers, which may be associated with a
shopper's loyalty card account. Optionally, a shopper's account
number at one or more financial institutions may be stored at
server 175 (or a data repository accessible therefrom).
Alternatively, this information may be retrieved from the shopping
device 195 (and in this case, encrypted communications are used in
preferred embodiments for communications 190 that transfer such
information).
[0033] A communications mechanism 125, such as a broadband Internet
connection, a telephone line connection, or a wireless connection
(shown generally at reference number 120) is preferably used at
server 175 to transmit and receive financial information regarding
a shopper's item purchases. For example, an amount of the shopper's
purchase may be transmitted to a financial institution such as a
bank or credit card company, and verification of sufficient funds
and/or notification of funds transfer to an account of the retailer
may be transmitted from the financial institution. It should be
noted that financial institutions with which transactions may be
processed are not limited to traditional banks and credit card
companies. As one alternative, a provider of the wireless service
used for transmitting messages to and from the shopper's portable
shopping assistant device may process purchase transactions on
behalf of the shopper, and such transactions may be charged to the
shopper's account with the wireless service provider. As another
alternative, the purchase transaction information may be
communicated to another entity such as a telephone ordering center
within a retail store, and this entity may then communicate
externally with the shopper's financial institution.
[0034] It may be desirable in some environments to provide shopping
carts (not shown in FIG. 1) with lids or other means that prevent
casual removal of the paid-for items stored therein (for example,
to prevent unscrupulous shoppers from stealing from other shoppers'
carts).
[0035] Personal shopping assistant management software 180 will now
be described in more detail with regard to the flowcharts depicted
in FIGS. 3-8.
[0036] Referring first to FIG. 3, a polling operation is initially
performed (Block 300) to gather information from the
item-integrated RFID tags of all items in a protected area. Upon
receiving the results, an Area Inventory List is populated with the
serial number ("S/N") obtained when reading the RFID tag of each
detected item (Block 305).
[0037] Note that while UPC codes traditionally store only a product
category or type, such as a particular brand of facial tissues in a
particular sized box and color, RFID tags are generally adapted for
storing an "Electronic Product Code" ("EPC"). An EPC identifies a
consumer product individually, not just by type. Present versions
of the code used for EPCs comprise 96 bits of information,
organized as an 8-bit header, two sets of 24 bits that identify the
manufacturer and the product type (respectively), and a 40-bit
serial number. (Ninety-six bits encode enough information to
uniquely identify trillions of objects.) Preferred embodiments
preferably use this 40-bit serial number, and may optionally also
use the manufacturer and product type information.
[0038] After populating the Area Inventory List, an iterative loop
for monitoring the items in the protected area then begins at Block
310, which checks to see if a "Reset Inventory" command has been
received. It may be desirable to reset the inventory list for an
area when shelves are restocked with new merchandise, for example.
Accordingly, if a reset command was received, control transfers to
Block 300 to re-poll the items in the protected area and update the
inventory list. Otherwise, processing continues at Block 315.
[0039] At Block 315, a polling operation is performed to determine
the items currently within the protected area. Preferably, any
items on this list that are flagged as "stolen" (as discussed below
with reference to Block 715 of FIG. 7) are not further processed
during this polling operation. The Area Inventory List that was
established at Block 305 is compared (Block 320) to the results of
this polling operation, for those items from the Area Inventory
List which have not been flagged as stolen. Block 325 checks (using
the item serial numbers) to see if any of the non-flagged items
from the Area Inventory List are missing in the newly-polled list.
If so, then for each of the missing items, control transfers to the
logic depicted in FIG. 4, which in preferred embodiments performs a
first of several levels of security processing.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates, between Blocks 325 and 330, encircled
"F", which indicates that the purchase transaction processing shown
in FIG. 8 may be carried out at this point (e.g., responsive to
detecting that the shopper scans a removed item).
[0041] Following a negative result at Block 325 (i.e., when none of
the serial numbers are missing) and following completion of the
processing in FIG. 4, processing continues at Block 330.
[0042] Referring now to FIG. 4, this processing represents a first
level of security whereby the item removal is detected, the shopper
receives feedback that a system is monitoring their actions, the
first level of security system is activated to monitor the
environment, and an interval timer is started, as will now be
described. In preferred embodiments, the serial number of an item
which is missing from the newly-polled list is stored in a Removed
Item List (Block 400) for this protected area. For ease of
reference, this serial number is referred to in the figures as
having some value `x`, where `x` represents a value that uniquely
identifies that product among the products in the protected area.
At this point, it may be presumed that the shopper has removed the
item for purchase or perhaps for inspection, for example to read
information contained on the item's label. Preferred embodiments
therefore provide information designed to assist the shopper in
making a purchase, as will now be described with reference to
Blocks 405-410.
[0043] In Block 405, an audible message is preferably sent to the
speakers which are found at the protected area (see reference
number 165 of FIG. 1). This message may be a pleasant greeting to
the shopper as a subtle signal that a security system is monitoring
his or her actions, or a direct message that a security system is
in progress to prevent theft. The audio message may also (or
alternatively) provide information about the item which was
removed, such as its price, and/or instructions about how to make a
purchase. In addition to or instead of an audible message, such
information may be displayed visually (Block 410), and this visual
display may use the display device found at the protected area (see
reference number 170 of FIG. 1). Or, one portion of the information
to be provided may be sent to the speakers, while a different
portion is sent to the visual display device. In alternative
embodiments, information may be sent to speakers and/or a display
of the shopper's personal shopping device 195.
[0044] Optionally, the visual display may contain a touch-sensitive
overlay or other mechanism which allows interaction by the shopper.
The shopper may use this to page through different screens of
information about the item, for example. As other examples, the
shopper may use the interaction mechanism to access a wide variety
of information concerning the items for sale, to obtain remote
purchasing instructions, to request assistance from store
personnel, or to perform other tasks that may be desired in a
retail shopping environment.
[0045] As a further theft deterrent, still or real-time motion
video of the shopper may be displayed to the shopper on the visual
display mounted at the protected area. This visual image may also
be used by security personnel to identify and track a potential
thief as they move about the store and eventually attempt to leave
the premises. Storage of the video images may be subsequently
purged, for example at such time that the image is no longer
required for security or the storage database becomes filled.
Surveillance camera 140 preferably captures a photographic image of
the shopper (Block 415). In Block 420, this image and an
association of the image with the removed item having serial number
`x` is transmitted to security system control software (see
reference number 115 of FIG. 1). Wired or wireless means may be
used for this transmission (not shown in FIG. 1). The image (and/or
video, as appropriate) is then sent to server 175 for storage and
processing, in preferred embodiments.
[0046] At Block 425, a timer is started for this particular removed
item. The timer is referred to herein as "S/N `x` Removed Timer1".
This timer is used to count down an interval of time during which
the item having a particular serial number remains out of the
protected area without having been purchased by the shopper. The
interval of time to use for each item may be identical;
alternatively, item-specific time intervals may be used. In the
latter case, the length of the interval is preferably configured
such that the shopper is allowed sufficient time to inspect this
particular removed item.
[0047] Control then returns to FIG. 3, resuming processing at Block
330, which tests to see if the item having serial number `x` has
been purchased by the shopper. If the test in Block 330 has a
positive result (i.e., the missing item was purchased), then for
each of those items, control transfers to the logic depicted in
FIG. 5. Otherwise, processing continues at Block 335 (and control
also resumes at Block 335 following completion of the processing in
FIG. 5).
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 5, the purchased item with serial
number `x` is preferably removed from the Removed Item List (Block
500) for the protected area, such that the security system no
longer monitors the item, and is added to a Purchased Items list
(Block 505). Also, the "S/N `x` Removed Timer1" timer is stopped
(Block 510). Block 515 then updates the Area Inventory List for
this protected area, such that the item with serial number `x` is
no longer on the list. The general retail store inventory database
is preferably also updated to reduce the overall store inventory,
reflecting the item purchased (Block 520). The shopper has taken
ownership of the item at this point.
[0049] Control then returns to FIG. 4, resuming processing at Block
335, which tests to see if a "S/N Removed Timer1" has ended for any
items from this protected area. If so, then for each of those
items, control transfers to the logic depicted in FIG. 6.
Otherwise, processing continues at Block 340 (and control also
resumes at Block 340 following completion of the processing in FIG.
6).
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 6, a second level of progressive
security measures is reflected therein. According to preferred
embodiments, this second level gives a shopper an additional
warning that an item which has been removed from the protected
area--for a time interval longer than permitted by the item's
"Timer1" value--must either be purchased or returned to the
protected area. Accordingly, Block 600 preferably activates signal
lights at the protected area (see reference number 150 of FIG. 1),
and in Block 605, an audio message is preferably sent to the
speakers 165. This audio message preferably informs the shopper of
his or her options, e.g., to complete the purchase or return the
item. The message may also inform the shopper that security
personnel will be notified in the event that neither of these
actions occurs in a timely manner.
[0051] Preferred embodiments then start another timer, referred to
herein as "S/N `x` Removed Timer2" (Block 610). This timer is used
to count down an interval of time during which the shopper can
complete the purchase of the item having serial number `x` or
return the item to the protected area. The interval of time used
for this timer is preferably shorter than the interval used for the
"Timer1" timer (as the shopper has already had sufficient time to
inspect the removed item). Optionally, an embodiment of the present
invention may notify the shopper of the time interval in the
warning message given at Block 605.
[0052] Following completion of the processing in FIG. 6, and also
following a negative result for the test at Block 335, control
reaches Block 340. Block 340 tests to see if a "S/N Removed Timer2"
has ended for any items from this protected area. If so, then for
each of those items, control transfers to the logic depicted in
FIG. 7. Otherwise, processing continues at Block 345 (and control
also resumes at Block 345 following completion of the processing in
FIG. 7).
[0053] Referring now to FIG. 7, a third progressive level of
security is provided by preferred embodiments that notifies
security personnel when theft of an item from a protected area is
suspected. This processing is invoked when both the "Timer1" and
"Timer2" values for the item having serial number `x` have elapsed
without the item either being purchased or returned to the
protected area. Accordingly, it may be presumed that the item
having serial number `x` has been stolen. Block 700 preferably adds
the item's serial number to an Item Theft List. In Block 705,
security personnel are notified. As mentioned earlier, this
notification may be sent in a way that prevents the suspected thief
from being warned, for example by sending a message to a mobile
device of the security personnel. The captured image of the shopper
may be included with this notification. Item sensors located at the
store exit (which may be of a conventional type) are preferably
activated at Block 710, and may be adapted to receive a
notification of the item serial number and/or other
item-identifying information of the particular item, such that the
sensor can monitor and thus detect when the shopper attempts to
pass through the exit with this particular item.
[0054] In Block 715, the item is preferably flagged as "stolen" on
the Area Inventory List. Rather than remove the item from the list
entirely, this flagging approach facilitates getting the item back
onto the correct shelf if the theft is prevented. Security system
control software 115 preferably runs an audit process to delete a
flagged item from the Area Inventory List when a theft of the item
is confirmed. This confirmation is preferably provided by security
personnel.
[0055] Following completion of the processing in FIG. 7, and also
following a negative result for the test at Block 340, control
reaches Block 345. Block 345 tests to see any of the items
previously removed from a protected area have been found by the
polling operation (e.g, the polling operation has detected the
serial number of an item on this protected area's Removed Item
List). This typically indicates that the shopper has returned a
previously-removed item to the protected area rather than
purchasing it. If various levels of security have been activated,
then those levels are deactivated, as will now be described.
[0056] In Block 350, a "cancel security" signal is sent to the
security system control software 115. Any security alerts that have
been issued are cancelled (Block 355). Any timers that are running
for this item are stopped (Block 360), including the "S/N Removed
Timer1" and "S/N Removed Timer2". In Block 365, the "stolen" flag
for the item is removed from the Area Inventory List.
[0057] When the test in Block 345 has a negative result and also
following completion of Block 365, control transfers to Block 310
to begin another iteration of the logic for monitoring the items in
the protected area.
[0058] Referring now to FIG. 8, logic is depicted to illustrate how
a purchase transaction may be carried out. After deciding to
purchase a removed item, the shopper uses a personal shopping
device to scan the item (Block 800) to obtain an item
identification. This scanning may comprise scanning a bar code
(such as a UPC code); in addition or instead, the item's integrated
RFID tag may be scanned. Scanning the RFID tag is preferable, as it
enables uniquely identifying this particular item (as has been
discussed above). In alternative embodiments, if a unique
identifier is not available in this scanning phase (for example, if
the portable shopping assistant device does not have an RFID
reader), then the UPC or other scanned identifier may be used to
obtain a unique identifier from the item from the RFID polling
logic.
[0059] When an RFID reader is used to scan a product for the
purpose of purchasing that item, the RFID reader will preferably be
configured have a relatively limited-range antenna. This enables
the RFID reader to discriminate between the item to be purchased
and all the other like item that remain in the protected area
(e.g., on the shelf). This limited range may be (for example) less
than one inch, and an appropriate range may be established (for
example) by changing the size of the RFID reader's antenna. Using a
limited-range antenna facilitates scanning of only an item actually
being purchased.
[0060] In Block 805, a purchase request, including an
identification of the item being purchased and information
identifying the shopper, is transmitted from the shopper's personal
shopping assistant device to Purchase Management software at the
store, which is preferably hosted on server 175. The transmission
from the personal shopping assistant device to server 175
preferably uses wireless communications (see reference number 190
in FIG. 1).
[0061] The Purchase Management software is preferably adapted for
receiving the transmitted information from the personal shopping
assistant device, obtaining pricing information for the item
identified therein, and requesting payment from a financial
institution associated with this shopper. As noted earlier,
encrypted communications are preferably used if information
pertaining to the shopper's financial institution (such as an
account number) is transmitted with the purchase request. As one
alternative, the store may determine the information pertaining to
the shopper's financial institution using previously-stored or
previously-obtained information (which may be associated with a
shopper loyalty card of this shopper, for example).
[0062] Prior art techniques may be used for the Purchase Management
software that completes the purchase request received at server
175. For example, the retail store may have stored credit card
numbers of its frequent shoppers maintained by a database on server
175. In this case, at the time of purchase, the shopper may be
prompted for a personal security verification (e.g., a PIN number
or password prompt, biometric information verification, or
encrypted private security software key). After the shopper's
identity has been verified by the Purchase Management software on
server 175, the shopper preferably signals his or her permission to
complete the purchase transaction with the credit card company, as
a normal credit card transaction would take place. Other known
means of electronic purchase may be used by embodiments of the
present invention, such as Electronic Funds Transfer with a
financial institution or via a debit card transaction directly with
the shopper's bank account.
[0063] As an alternative to encrypting only those transmissions
which transmit the shopper's financial or account information, it
may be preferable to encrypt all transmissions to and from the
portable shopping assistant device. Optionally, embodiments of the
present invention may provide a configuration interface whereby an
administrator can specify which communication flows should be
encrypted.
[0064] Block 810 tests to see if a purchase confirmation has been
received from the shopper's financial institution. If not, then an
error message may be transmitted to the shopper (Block 815). This
error message may be presented by audible and/or visual means, and
may be presented using the speakers and/or display device of the
protected area and/or of the shopper's portable shopping assistant
device. Upon completion of the error message processing, control
preferably exits from FIG. 8.
[0065] When the test in Block 810 has a positive result (i.e., the
purchase confirmation has been received), control reaches Block
820, where a purchase verification message is preferably
transmitted to the shopper's portable shopping assistant device. A
purchase confirmation message is then presented to the shopper
(Block 825), giving the shopper immediate feedback that the
purchase transaction has been completed (and that the shopper's
account has been charged). As with the error message discussed
above, this confirmation message may be audible and/or visual, and
is preferably presented using speakers and/or a display area of the
portable shopping assistant device. Optionally, a purchase
confirmation may be also be presented using the speakers and/or
display device of the protected area.
[0066] Block 830 then marks the item `x` as being purchased on a
shopping list that is maintained, in preferred embodiments, by the
personal shopping assistant device. At Block 835, the
previously-captured photo and/or video images of the shopper
(discussed above with reference to Block 415 of FIG. 4) is/are
preferably deleted, now that the item has been purchased. Control
then exits from FIG. 8.
[0067] When an embodiment of the present invention is used in an
environment where the items of the protected area are not for
purchase, such as the employee item checkout and library patron
checkout environments discussed earlier, the processing in FIG. 8
may be adapted accordingly. For example, rather than completing a
purchase transaction by a shopper, the transaction of interest may
be completing a library item checkout by a library patron. In this
case, rather than communicating with a financial institution to
process a purchase, the transaction may comprise communicating with
a library patron system to assign the scanned library items to an
account represented by this person's library card. Accordingly, the
term "removal transaction" may be used in a generic sense to
include purchase transactions and other transactions that follow
from an item being removed from a protected area.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 9, a sample shelf system 900 is
depicted showing a plurality of shelves with RFID antennas
configured. For ease of illustration, the antennas are shown using
a dashed outline. See, for example, shelf 920 and its corresponding
antenna 910. The antennas may be embedded within the shelves,
mounted under the shelves, mounted on top of the shelves, or
otherwise coupled thereto. Location of antennas may be configured
for optimum readability of RFID tags and may depend on factors such
as whether shelf units are metallic or non-metallic; whether
product RFID tags are located on the top or bottom of the items to
be contained within the protected area; or other physical
relationships between the RFID tags, topology of shelf units, and
proximity of RF-inhibiting materials such as metal shelves and
metal products containing RFID tags. In this sample system 900, the
configuration of the antennas facilitates reading RFID tags coupled
to the tops of metal cans placed on the shelves (by way of
example).
[0069] As has been described, using techniques disclosed herein,
shoppers may purchase items directly from the shelves or other
protected areas, where the purchase transaction is facilitated by
the portable shopping assistant device. The protected areas thus
function as virtual vending machines, whereby ownership of an item
can begin immediately after removing the item from the protected
area. The shopper then does not need to go through a checkout line
at the front of the store, which may result in considerable time
savings for the shopper and reduced labor costs for the retailer.
The retailer may also eliminate or reduce store-front point-of-sale
stations, leading to reduced equipment costs. As an alternative,
traditional store-front theft detection mechanisms may continue to
be used, thus providing another opportunity to prevent theft. For
example, a store-front POS station may scan the RFID tags in the
shopper's cart to ensure the items have been marked as being paid
for (e.g., by comparing the item identifiers from the scanned RFID
tags to Purchased Items lists that have been created as discussed
above with reference to Block 505 of FIG. 5). In contrast to
current self-checkout POS stations, techniques of the present
invention alleviate the need to individually weigh each purchased
item for security purposes.
[0070] Analogous types of transactions may be carried out in other
environments in a similar manner, and similar savings may be
realized. For example, a library patron may scan books or other
items at the shelf, thus causing an immediate checkout of those
items, and can then exit the library without having to go through a
checkout process at the library checkout desk.
[0071] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art,
embodiments of the present invention may be provided as (for
example) methods, systems, and/or computer program products. The
invention preferably takes the form of an embodiment containing
both hardware and software elements (although an embodiment
comprising only hardware elements, in which the above-described
processing logic may be encoded, for example, on chips, is also
within the scope of the present invention). The software may
include (but is not limited to) firmware, resident software,
microcode, etc. Furthermore, the present invention may take the
form of a computer program product which is embodied on one or more
computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk
storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, and so forth) having
computer-usable program code embodied therein, where this computer
program product may be used by or in connection with a computer or
any instruction execution system. For purposes of this description,
a computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any apparatus
that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the
program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution
system, apparatus, or device.
[0072] The medium may be an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or
device) or a propagation medium Examples of a computer-readable
medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic
tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory
("RAM"), a read-only memory ("ROM"), a rigid magnetic disk, and an
optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact
disk read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), compact disk read/write
("CD-R/W"), and DVD.
[0073] Referring now to FIG. 10, a data processing system 1000
suitable for storing and/or executing program code includes at
least one processor 1012 coupled directly or indirectly to memory
elements through a system bus 1014. The memory elements can include
local memory 1028 employed during actual execution of the program
code, bulk storage 1030, and cache memories (not shown) which
provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to
reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage
during execution.
[0074] Input/output (I/O") devices (including but not limited to
keyboards 1018, displays 1024, pointing devices 1020, other
interface devices 1022, etc.) can be coupled to the system either
directly or through intervening I/O controllers or adapters (1016,
1026).
[0075] Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable
the data processing system to become coupled to other data
processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through
intervening private or public networks (as shown generally at
1032). Modems, cable modem attachments, wireless adapters, and
Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently-available types of
network adapters.
[0076] FIG. 11 illustrates a data processing network environment
1100 in which the present invention may be practiced. The data
processing network 1100 may include a plurality of individual
networks, such as wireless network 1142 and network 1144. A
plurality of wireless devices 1110a-1110c (which, by way of
illustration only, represent a wireless pager 1110a, a wireless
cellular phone 1110b, and the IBM Mobile Tablet for Retail 1110c)
may communicate over wireless network 1142, and a plurality of
wired devices, shown in the figure (by way of illustration) as
workstations 1111, may communicate over network 1144. Additionally,
as those skilled in the art will appreciate, one or more local area
networks ("LANs") may be included (not shown), where a LAN may
comprise a plurality of devices coupled to a host processor.
[0077] Still referring to FIG. 11, the networks 1142 and 1144 may
also include mainframe computers or servers, such as a gateway
computer 1146 or application server 1147 (which may access a data
repository 1148). A gateway computer 1146 serves as a point of
entry into each network, such as network 1144. The gateway 1146 may
be preferably coupled to another network 1142 by means of a
communications link 1150a. The gateway 1146 may also be directly
coupled to one or more workstations 1111 using a communications
link 1150b, 1150c, and/or may be indirectly coupled to such
devices. The gateway computer 1146 may be implemented utilizing an
Enterprise Systems Architecture/370.TM. available from IBM, an
Enterprise Systems Architecture/390.RTM. computer, etc. Depending
on the application, a midrange computer, such as an Application
System/400.RTM. (also known as an AS/400.RTM. may be employed.
("Enterprise Systems Architecture/370" is a trademark of IBM;
"Enterprise Systems Architecture/390", "Application System/400",
and "AS/400" are registered trademarks of IBM in the United States,
other countries, or both.)
[0078] The gateway computer 1146 may also be coupled 1149 to a
storage device (such as data repository 1148).
[0079] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the gateway
computer 1146 may be located a great geographic distance from the
network 1142, and similarly, the wireless devices 1110a-1110c
and/or workstations 1111 may be located some distance from the
networks 1142 and 1144, respectively. For example, the network 1142
may be located in California, while the gateway 1146 may be located
in Texas, and one or more of the workstations 1111 may be located
in Florida. The wireless devices 1110a-1110c may connect to the
wireless network 1142 using a networking protocol such as the
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP") over a
number of alternative connection media, such as cellular phone,
radio frequency networks, satellite networks, etc. The wireless
network 1142 preferably connects to the gateway 1146 using a
network connection 1150a such as TCP or User Datagram Protocol
("UDP") over IP, X.25, Frame Relay, Integrated Services Digital
Network ("ISDN"), Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN"), etc.
The workstations 1111 may connect directly to the gateway 1146
using dial connections 1150b or 1150c. Further, the wireless
network 1142 and network 1144 may connect to one or more other
networks (not shown), in an analogous manner to that depicted in
FIG. 11.
[0080] The present invention has been described with reference to
flow diagrams and/or block diagrams according to embodiments of the
invention. It will be understood that each flow and/or block of the
flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, and combinations of flows
and/or blocks in the flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, can be
implemented by computer program instructions. These computer
program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general
purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or
other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine,
such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create
means for implementing the functions specified in the flow diagram
flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0081] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other
programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction
means which implement the function specified in the flow diagram
flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0082] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a
series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or
other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented
process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or
other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the
functions specified in the flow diagram flow or flows and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0083] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have
been described, additional variations and modifications in those
embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn
of the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, it is intended that the
appended claims shall be construed to include preferred embodiments
and all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit
and scope of the invention.
* * * * *